The Exorcist currently beats Rosemary's Baby 59–41
Friedkin's possession outlasts Polanski's paranoia — the confrontation wins.
The Verdict
This matchup has 17 votes. The picture may shift as more people weigh in.
Father Karras in the bedroom — a psychiatrist-priest who lost his faith confronting something that demands he find it again, Friedkin staging the exorcism as a contest between clinical doubt and supernatural certainty — gives The Exorcist a moral directness Rosemary’s Baby deliberately refuses. Polanski's film is the more psychologically sophisticated achievement. Friedkin's is the more emotionally direct one. The lead says directness outperforms sophistication when the directness involves a priest willing to die for a child he barely knows. Moral clarity generates stronger engagement than moral ambiguity.
The Numbers
| Rosemary's Baby | The Exorcist | |
|---|---|---|
| Head-to-Head | 41% | 59% |
| Overall Win Rate | 47% | 64% |
| Championships | 16 | 71 |
| Budget | $3M | $12M |
| Box Office | $33M | $441M |
Where This Matchup Sits
The Exorcist sits at #5 in Horror among 38 on BingeBracket.
When facing other films on the platform, Rosemary's Baby handles Psycho without much trouble — but The Exorcist doesn't. That shared opponent is one of the clearest places where these two films diverge.
The Exorcist cost $12M to make and grossed $441M. Rosemary's Baby was made for $3M and earned $33M. The commercial gap carries over — The Exorcist wins the head-to-head too.
Think Rosemary's Baby deserves better?
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